Some Ibadan beggars numbering about 250, on Thursday, protested low patronage by members of the public following a recent rumor alleging it members of selling cash received from the public to some ritualists.
According to the spokesperson for the indigent beggars; Imam Abubakar Abdullahi, Serikin Hausawa of Hausawa Community, Oja’ba, Ibadan, said the rumor had created deep hatred for his people.
Vanguard quoted Abubakar saying: “The reports that some wealthy people are buying money from beggars, including the physically-challenged people, for money rituals is not true,” “As a result of the claim that some ritualists do buy money from these beggars, there has been public resentment against these innocent people.
“What we know is that traders, hawkers and commercial drivers do come to these beggars who are mainly blind and lame people, to change money (get smaller denominations).
“We need to clear our names so that people will not be punishing us for offences we don’t know anything about.”